


for want of a nail

by Zerrat



Category: Drag-On Dragoon | Drakengard, Drakengard 3
Genre: Accord is too meta, Discussion of Perspective, Gen, Unknown Branch, but One can more than handle her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-30
Updated: 2014-10-30
Packaged: 2018-02-23 04:50:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2534774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zerrat/pseuds/Zerrat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No matter how many of her sisters fell or how the lands turned in upon themselves, One remained locked away in the Cathedral City, seemingly undisturbed by the trail of bodies Zero left in her wake. Accord just wanted to understand why One never acted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	for want of a nail

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lionsenpai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionsenpai/gifts).



> For kc, who dragged me in deep into this fandom.

_Early in our efforts to observe the singularity known as Zero, much of our attention was devoted to that of her fellow Intoners. It was hypothesised that, under the correct combination of circumstances, any one of the Intoners could act as a catalyst and set history in a more favourable direction. So it was that the determination was made. Over the course of numerous timelines, the Intoner known as One has been placed under careful observation._

_Perhaps she might finally deliver this world salvation._

###

Given all the anomalies Accord had seen both made and undone over the course of her role, the Cathedral City remained one of the most truly fascinating. As but a humble recorder, she did not know why or how the city had been displaced from the Old World, only that it had appeared in Midgard many years before the time of the flower. Therefore, it remained outside the scope of her investigations. 

_It's really such a waste,_ Accord mused, kneeling in the shell of an apartment block as she sorted through the neat stacks of paper in her suitcase. She could spend decades here alone, observing and testing and _exploring_ , just learning more on how this relic of the Old World and the new interacted on a societal, historical and even magical level. 

But alas, it really was not to be. However fascinating the city was, Accord had a role to perform - the very reason she'd seen fit to take up residence in the ruins. A part of her did want to abandon her latest hypothesis and simply turn her attention back to Zero, back to the action, _away_ from what was increasingly appearing to be a futile endeavour. 

After all, it was Zero's chaotic influence on the timeline - which in itself could be traced back to her stronger ties to the flower - that offered the greatest opportunity to reach an... adequate resolution. 

A happy ending, if Accord was honest. Sitting back and watching Zero's continual and catastrophic failures had been getting somewhat depressing for a good few timelines now, so trying something different had been understandable, right? 

Zero _was_ still out there, though. She was making all the same early moves, and all the same mistakes. 

She'd already slain the as-yet uncorrupted Five when Accord had last checked in on her, and the Land of Seas had been engulfed in civil war in her wake. In the Land of Forests, Three's forces were hastily rallying for war, watching with keen eyes as Zero hunted Four through the Land of Mountains. The Land of Sands was in chaos as Two's mind slipped further into oblivion, an all-too ready plaything for the flower during this timeline. Such was the impact of Cent's absence, really.

And yet, no matter how many Intoners fell or how the lands turned in upon themselves, One remained locked away in the Cathedral City, seemingly undisturbed by the trail of bodies Zero left in her wake. 

Accord would have known this as truth, even had she not been keeping a careful eye on One as the timeline unfolded. She'd watched it happen a dozen times before, and one thing had become painfully clear. One was static and immovable, _reliably_ so in a world otherwise at the whim of singularity. No matter how Four begged, how Three talked in riddles of blood and ruin, what reports Five sent on Zero or how Two fell, One never made a move. 

Considering her latest timeline notes and holding them out in the hazy light filtering in from a broken window, Accord sighed and rocked back on her heels. 

Bizarre and illogical as it was, One simply failed to act decisively, no matter that she was Accord's next best hope. 

As the second oldest Intoner, she had the second strongest link with the flower - and yet in every timeline, she retained her sense of awareness and control. Her iron will was nothing short of phenomenal, unbending and unflinching even at the end, so surely _she_ had the ability to end things ones and for all, if only she'd act _sooner_.

But rarely did One leave the Cathedral City, and never to confront Zero. Never to enact the change Accord so desperately sought. 

One didn't simply fail to act, Accord reasoned, closing her suitcase with a soft thud. She failed to reach her potential as the saviour of the world, and it was nothing short of confusing. Frustrating. Maddening. 

Accord had to understand - if One insisted on dooming the world each and every time, she had to know _why._

###

Accord found One in the Cathedral library, seated at a desk in one of the more secluded corners of the shelving as she poured over a stack of parchment. The withdrawn Intoner was comfortably predictable in that way - holing herself amongst dusty books and tomes, preferring her research over overseeing the day to day administrations of the lands as she once had. As each and every timeline wore on, One would withdraw further in on herself, almost protectively. 

While Accord had a list of guesses as long as her arm on _why_ that was, they were just that. Guesses, and for somebody as driven by the science of observation, that was a rather poor consolation indeed. 

She kept a steady eye on her target, biting down lightly on her lip as she flitted amongst the safety of the shelving. 

_Steady, careful she doesn't spot you -_

The grand doors to the library opened, the creak of wood and unoiled hinges loud in the oppressive silence, and out the corner of her eye, Accord caught the tense of One's shoulders. She tapped her chin with her fingertip thoughtfully, watching for further reaction, but One's expression remained blank. 

_Interesting,_ Accord noted, wondering if it would be too much of an effort to get her notes and quill out. Instead, she turned her attention back to the newcomer as the scuff of boots and rattle of armour neared. The man was flanked by two of One's Cathedral retainers, their quick strides less abrasively loud than the defeated trudge of the man's boots.

Accord's gaze sharpened as she spied the coat of arms on the man's chest - he'd been sent by Four, then, who by all estimates was still leading Zero on a merry chase through the Land of Mountains. 

_**Very** interesting,_ Accord amended, turning her attention back to One and leaning up against the bookshelf. Here was yet another opportunity for One to make a real difference in the timeline. The question was, would One make the most of it? 

From between the shelves, Accord had a clear view of One's carefully schooled expression, watched her lift her chin just slightly as the man neared. From here, Accord could even make out the black ink scrawled on ancient parchment on the desk behind her. Her eyes narrowed. Was that a sketch of the -

"Lady One," the messenger from the Land of Mountains said, falling to a knee several paces from where One reclined against the desk. "I come bearing news from Lady Four. We are besieged by the rebel Intoner Zero, and we cannot-"

"Four sent you to seek aid." One's voice was level and serious, and while her tone was quiet, her words still carried. "She is losing, then."

The man cleared his throat, his expression somewhat conflicted. "Lady Four has devised her strategy well, and has so far managed to evade Zero. But this... _she-devil_ is more than we mere men can handle. We cannot stop Zero from reaching her. She humbly requests your aid, as soon as you can spare it."

Accord watched One's closed expression, and a lesser observer may have missed the subtle crease between her brows, the way her hand clenched momentarily at her side before relaxing. She knew the answer long before One finally replied. 

"I will consider it." One's words were not sharp, but they were final. Accord also knew they were a lie, just as they'd been every other time. One would not send reinforcements, and Four would die within days. 

"But -"

"In the meantime, you will return to Four's side. In such times... she needs support." One leaned back further against the desk, bracing herself against it as she looked down upon the messenger, a goddess passing divine judgement on more than just a request for aid. 

_She has to know she is dooming Four to die at Zero's hand,_ Accord thought. _She has to understand._

Slowly, haltingly, the man bowed his head, and with a "yes, my lady" that seemed crushed, he rose to his feet and left, the retainers trailing in his wake. One did not look down, though, and she did not look away until the doors had finally swung closed once more. 

Only then did One glance around - and her gaze cut straight for Accord's. 

_Oh, this is very interesting indeed,_ Accord's mind practically breathed as she watched One's eyes narrow, watched her lips thin. 

"You may come out, watcher in the wings," One called, her voice one of quiet control and command, and perhaps imbued with just a touch of song.

Well, if she was going to play it _that_ way... Accord's lips curved upwards into a smile, and she sidled out from between the shelves, her suitcase held in clasped hands before her. She'd never really been caught before - she was always too careful. Perhaps her frustration with the ongoing failures was getting to her, but if One knew of her presence, then...

Accord was more than willing to take advantage of a situation when it presented itself. 

"Who, me?" Accord started, tilting her head, her smile hopefully one that was disarming. "What on earth could I-"

"Please." One's voice was cool, but it was not unkind. She pushed herself up from the desk, gesturing smoothly to the chair opposite it. The implicit command was obvious. "Do not take me for a fool."

Accord's smile faded then, and she nodded. "Of course."

She did not yet move to take the seat, however. One's eyes narrowed, and as if to make a point, she pulled her own chair out and seated herself. The ink-smudged sketches vanished almost immediately into One's pocket, and after a moment of silent consideration, One leaned back in her chair. 

"I would offer you a drink, however..." One's eyes flickered up and down Accord's body, blatantly assessing. "I rather think you need such things even less than we Intoners."

Accord had known that One was clever, but to have picked up _that_ already... for all her careful observation, perhaps she'd still managed to underestimate this Intoner. It was oddly thrilling, in its way. 

"How do you mean?" Accord pressed, finally taking the seat across from One. She propped herself up by her elbow, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. 

One reached out, her fingers curling about the delicate handle of a teacup hidden amongst all the books. 

"I can hear it. Under your skin. The movements of a million gears and valves, the hum of lightning in your veins." Her lips quirked, and it could have almost passed as a smile. "That's how I knew you were there."

Proper smile or not, Accord answered it with one of her own, her mind working at a mile an hour. Enhanced hearing, and a quick glance at the teacup suggested that One wasn't drinking tea, but hot water. 

_No,_ she amended, a surge of satisfaction accompanying the realisation. _Enhanced senses. That explains an awful lot._

"So. How long do you believe I've been... watching?" Accord asked, phrasing it as delicately as she dared - _stalking_ , Zero had called it more than once. 

One took a sip of her hot water for a moment, her expression thoughtful. "Hazarding a guess? Since it all began to fall apart."

It was a vague answer, and Accord suspected it was deliberate. One could very well mean from the first timeline Accord had observed at all, watching the flower reach out through five Intoners to destroy the world. Or she could merely mean Zero's first failed attempt on their lives just a year ago. 

One was a fearsome opponent, for all her reserve. Accord couldn't quite help but like her, for all that she was an arm of the enemy. 

"If you were dangerous, you would have acted by now," One said, as the silence had continued and it had become clear Accord was not going to give her an answer. "I do have to ask; why?"

Accord regarded One carefully, tapping her cheek with two of her fingers. She'd reached out to Zero in some timelines, to give the woman an advantage. In others, she had not. If One knew her lack of action would forever destine her to die uselessly in a failed timeline, then perhaps... 

"Intoners. Saviours of the world, is that not so?" Accord asked slowly, meeting One's gaze steadily. 

"It depends on your perspective. As does all history." One's expression was unreadable, and she inclined her head, taking another sip of her warm water. 

"Not an untrue answer. I suppose I have a perspective that is quite... unique in all this." Accord smiled, and she continued without missing a beat, "The Intoners will destroy the world. Not save it."

One's expression didn't so much as flicker. "I know."

"And I know you know." Accord really couldn't resist it. There was truly something delightful about needling Intoners. "You know?"

One sighed, a tiny noise that sounded as though she was entirely exhausted with the conversation already. 

"I have been... studying. What the Intoners are. And what we are destined to do." One's lips thinned in what might have been anger as much as loathing. She set her teacup down, leaving it forgotten amongst the history tomes she'd been pouring over for months now. "I understand that we must die, so the world may live."

"Then you know why Zero chose this path." Accord already knew One was aware of it, but really, she'd never quite had the chance to interact with this particular puzzle piece like this. It really was refreshing. "Why then oppose her?"

One's eyes flickered then, and this time, it _was_ anger. "Somebody so vicious and cruel can not be trusted with the fate of this world."

Accord liked Zero at least as much as she liked One - but she could concede the point. Zero was far from ideal as far as candidates went, and so many timelines had proven that point quite resoundingly. 

"Then why not stop her?" Accord leaned forward, raising a hand in a questioning gesture. This was the crux of it all. _Why_ the inaction? "Why sit in the Cathedral City, locked away, while your sisters fall... One. By. One. Together, you could defeat her. You have previously."

One was silent for a long time, her lips pressed together as she stared through the teacup at her elbow and into whatever lay beyond. Accord did not press her, merely waiting.

"And if I do, watcher? What then must I do to ensure the flower ends?" One's tone was both mild and leading. She settled back in her chair, finally meeting Accord's gaze.

Accord didn't reply, unable to trust herself not to derail the conversation when she was so close to understanding. 

"I would have to kill them." While One's words were tight and forceful, there was a catch in her voice, hidden beneath the veneer of control. Raw emotion, from somebody Accord saw as being so cold and logical... "My sisters. I have grown into my own with them at my side. We defeated the tyrant lords of this world together. They are..." One hesitated, and when she spoke again, she'd regained a measure of control. "They are my everything. I could no sooner betray their trust than allow Zero free reign to end the world."

Accord almost wanted to list all the timelines in which One's own trust was betrayed by the same sisters she so loved. She almost wanted to tell of how Three had stabbed her in the back with those scissors, how Four had snapped and murdered them all in self-righteous fury. How Five had consumed them all. How Two had danced around her corpse. 

But when she looked at One's expression, she knew for certain that it was a lost cause. Even should this Intoner be given such knowledge of the futility of her actions, it would not benefit Accord's cause. One's feelings on the topic were simply unchangeable. 

"I allow Zero to kill them, because I know the Intoners must die," One continued, when Accord did not reply. "I also understand that I cannot do it myself. So I will wait until the end - to avenge my fallen sisters, and save the world in the only way I can."

Accord exhaled, leaning back and adjusting her glasses. There was not much she could say to that. 

"It is very... logical," she tried. "In its way." 

One's gaze sharpened then. In a rare moment of heat, she leaned forward. "Do not misunderstand me, watcher. Turning my back on them..." One trailed off, and there was nothing but pain in her voice. "It was the hardest choice I have ever had to make."

One _could_ make the hard choices then. Accord shook her head, unbelieving. "And so you doom yourself with inaction. There _is_ a timeline, a series of choices that must lead to a better future -"

"I am not the tool you need," One broke in, suddenly quiet. "My methods may change, but my reasons... I will never compromise on them. Of that, you may be certain."

Accord nodded, slowly at first. She _was_ certain, and a part of her felt ill at the realisation. 

"I believe I understand your message, Lady One." Accord rose to her feet, offering One a careful bow. "Thank you for this discussion. I have found it quite... illuminating." 

She smiled, but One did not. There was a heaviness to her shoulders as Accord made her way to leave, a deep weariness that she had never observed in One before. Just minutes ago, the Intoner had seemed commanding and almost godlike. That had all wilted away, and instead... she seemed human.

One, it appeared, had many regrets, and Accord's visit had only added to what was a mountain. But she wouldn't falter, all because she'd sacrificed everything for her best shot at defeating the flower. 

The only problem was, Accord realised with a growing certainty, that One's best shot would never be enough.

###

_Update._

_Based on recent data collection activities, the Intoner known as One is has been found to be an unsuitable solution to the puzzle of the flower. Therefore, it is recommended that all observation upon this subject be terminated effective immediately._

_While her sacrifices are great, they will only ever be in vain._

_On a more personal note, for all her role in the dark outcomes I observe... I cannot help but pity her._

_End recording._


End file.
